2/21/13 - A commercial beekeeper in Howell says the announcement of federal charges against five individuals and two companies that flooded the market with cheaper honey from China to avoid paying millions of dollars in duties is big news for the lower scale honey industry. The defendants in the investigation dubbed "Project Honeygate" are accused of mislabeling honey to indicate it was from other countries to avoid paying anti-dumping duties. Officials say such schemes forced legitimate importers and the domestic honey industry to endure years of unprofitable operations that put some out of business. Shawn Shubel is one local commercial beekeeper that couldnât agree more. He owns Nectar Sweet Apiaries on Chilson Road near Grand River, which supplies honey to area orchards and a local customer base. He says the lower prices and overall monopoly have had a tremendous impact on the industry and beekeepers everywhere, who are also dealing with a number of other factors that continue to take their toll such as the increasing cost of bees, general population decline and drought. He says they really donât have much to get excited about in the industry anymore and feels the charges filed were long overdue. One of the companies charged is Groeb Farms in Onsted, Michigan, which has agreed to pay $2 million for allegedly buying Chinese honey that it knew was imported illegally. Federal officials have not alleged any violation of food safety laws by Groeb Farms, which said in a statement the company takes full responsibility and regrets any errors made in honey importing, noting the allegations primarily involved two former senior executives. (JM)
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